Fans have been waiting for seven years for a new submission from iconic angst rap-rock band, Linkin Park. When lead singer, Chester Bennington, tragically committed suicide in 2017, the band went on an indefinite hiatus — after creating seven monumental studio albums together. Since then, there's been silence. Until today.
Linkin Park is used to causing a frenzy. Their hit album,
Hybrid Theory, catapulted the band into rockstar status in early 2000. For two decades, the group led a movement: reviving rock and roll — mixing in original dance, rap, and pop elements along the way. With tracks like "In The End" and "One Step Closer", Linkin Park was a staple in a defining music movement.
They're one of the best-selling bands of the 21st century, winning many fan-nominated and academy-voted awards such as two GRAMMYs. And now, they're ready to return with fresh faces and an even fresher single.
Last night during a live performance, the band announced that Emily Armstrong of the band Dead Sara will be the latest co-vocalists for Linkin Park. They also will be adding Colin Brittain, a songwriter and producer, as one of their drummers.
In addition, Linkin Park will be releasing their first song in seven years, "The Emptiness Machine" and a new album with lead single, "From Zero", out November 15!
The band is officially back in action, and fans are certainly excited for the return of yet another iconic music group!
Rumors began to swirl online yesterday that the American Royal Couple, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, were heading for Splitsville.
It began with a Reddit post with an alleged contract, providing an exact date when Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift would break up. This fueled even more gossip that the iconic couple — who have made debuts together on-stage at Swift's Era's Tour — were a so-called PR relationship.
Online forum and social media users began to speculate whether or not Swift and Kelce's relationship has merely been a ploy for popularity — or not. However, Travis Kelce shut down those rumors immediately by having his PR firm, Full Stop, call lawyers to confirm these documents are falsified and they will be taking action.
image C/O Daily Mail
It's a sigh of relief for many as The Tortured Poet's Department singer and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end haven't called it quits. But it's also an important sign not to believe everything you see on a Reddit thread...and luckily, this couple will never go out of style.
A spokesman from Full Scope told The Daily Mail that the document is "entirely false and fabricated and were not created, issued or authorized by this agency."
'We have engaged our legal team to initiate proceedings against the individuals or entities responsible for the unlawful and injurious forgery of documents,' Full Scope added.
It's been a busy week for Travis Kelce, who spent the summer following Taylor on tour, as he prepares for the start of NFL season on Thursday. He also just revealed the trailer for Ryan Murphy's latest show, Grotesquerie,starring Kelce and Niecy Nash. While the trailer is sure to turn heads, we can't help but still fear for his acting abilities— or lack thereof!
Regardless, we can all relax now knowing Taylor and Travis are still going strong. And I will wait patiently for the engagement rumors to ensue.
What I love about Netflix is how sometimes they really don’t care. Take My Life With The Walter Boys for example: tacky plot, bad acting, no relatability…but a smash hit nonetheless. Sadly, these cheesy teeny bopper plotlines are all the rage. I’m looking at you, Emily in Paris.
You see, I didn’t catch Emily in Paris at first. I didn’t want to. I knew what was coming and I didn’t like it one bit.
But, at the end of the day, I’m not fully a free thinker. If something gets mentioned enough on social media — whether it’s a positive or negative review — I have to watch. And I was even far more interested when it seemed like people loved and hated Emily with equal fervor.
Starring nepo baby Lily Collins as Emily, this car wreck of a show follows an American actually making it in the Parisian fashion world. On the surface, this sounds great. But once you watch, you realize it’s a disaster.
We rarely follow a plot line. For a good part of the show, the main character Emily is torn between moving home and staying in Paris. She left her humdrum fiance in the American dust and moved on to a bunch of hotties in Paris. What a dream.
Not only does Emily win over these Parisian dreamboats — Alfie, I would treat you better — she does it wearing the worst possible outfits. Paris, France is the fashion capitals of the world…and with a show about working in fashion, you’d think Emily’s style would eventually mirror that.
It doesn’t.
Four seasons in and Emily is still trying too hard, mixing heinous prints, and applying bright red lipstick on her drab little lips. These past two seasons, she’s even added bangs.
I get angrier as I write this…but season four of Emily in Paris is out on Netflix.
Emily in Paris - Season 4, Part 1 Review
Honestly, going into this season, I remember nothing. I don’t know the characters’ names except for Alfie (and this seems to be the right choice). I forget most of the plot (if there ever was one). And it’s like I’m watching a whole new, awful show. Fun!
But this season, the writer’s decided to throw in every single plot line they could possibly think of and cram it into four episodes. If you don’t want spoilers, skip ahead.
We’ve got Emily’s boss — Sylvie — accusing industry titan Louis de Leon of sexual assault. There’s Camille — who got dumped by her girlfriend and moved next-door to her ex, Gabriel — only to find out she isn’t pregnant with his baby and he’s actually back with Emily.
Then, of course, we have Emily who has to forge a relationship with Alfie in the name of business. What a hard life she lives, truly. Imagine I wore the most atrocious outfits and had all the attractive men in France still think I’m cute. I, too, would never leave.
All the while, Emily’s boyfriend Gabriel is aiming to add a Michelin Star — or 3 — to his restaurant. There’s a lot to keep track of here, especially since the Netflix writers are trying to tie up a bunch of loose ends. Even they know there are far too many plots, but I’m not done.
The other crazy plot line they’ve decided to throw in there is a corporate issue: the marketing firm is selling a viral glass skin face mask…The only catch? Emily finds it’s actually just lubricant packaged in a fancy container.
This is one of the times I outwardly groaned. Seriously? This is what they could come up with? Was the Writer’s Strike really that bad?
On August 15, I sat down to watch the first four episodes of the season. If you think that means Netflix left us on a major Bridgerton-esque cliffhanger, you’d be wrong. We’re currently left wondering what’s going to happen to the lube face mask.
Why Emily in Paris is so bad it’s good
The phenomenon is that social meida has come together and collectively agreed: the show is so bad…but we won’t stop watching.
Maybe it’s for lack of better television right now, I know my options are bleak. Or maybe we crave a disastrous series that distracts us from our real life problems. But no matter about that, it’s working.
For those of you saying that Emily in Paris is a Golden Globe-nominated show — honestly, all that does is make me question the legitimacy of the Golden Globes.
Either way, unfortunately, I’ll be seated when Emily in Paris Season 4, Part 2 comes out on Netflix on September 12.
Zoë Kravitz, the ultimate Hollywood cool girl, just made her directorial debut with Blink Twice — the buzzy thriller starring her finance, Channing Tatum. Luckily for us, this isn’t a Don’t Worry Darling situation — a director and actor finding love while their production burns. And it definitely wasn’t an It Ends With Us situation — a director and actor publically waging war against each other.
But beyond the drama, the main difference between the Blink Twice rollout (complete with a very cutesy press tour featuring Channing and Zoe) is that people are actually responding well to the it-girls directorial debut. A nepo baby with actual talent? More likely than you’d think.
Zoe has been stretching herself as an actor in recent years, with an especially high-profile role as Catwoman in Robert Pattinson’s emo turn as The Batman. She even got props for her acting chops for her role in Big Little Lies — Season 3 when? — and Hulu’s take on High Fidelity. But Kravitz is new on the directing scene and trying to prove her mettle.
Just from the trailer (which features the song "Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups), you can tell Blink Twice is shot beautifully. From its vibrant color saturation to the interesting perspective choices, Zoe is as invested in the beauty of her film as her enviable beauty routine.
To the point that some freeze frames in the film feel like Sofia Coppolla-esque tapestries that would be at home on Tumblr — except her subject isn’t girlhood, it’s fame and excess.
And since that’s the world that Kravitz grew up in, she knows it well. Yes, some of the aesthetics start to make the movie feel like a collection of sumptuous shots vying to mean something, to say something important.
It’s clear from the beginning that Kravitz understands the evils of fame. But does her attempt to convey them to us translate or fall flat thanks to its own self-importance?
While Blink Twice thinks it’s Get Out meets Saltburn, it’s more horrifying than most people will be able to stomach and less effective than Kravitz thinks.
Watch the Blink Twice trailer here:
Is Blink Twice a horror movie?
Blink Twice is billed as a thriller, blending psychological elements with violence and gore. The reviews are coming in and they’re falling in the upper middle percentage range with a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. Not bad for an ambitious debut. Kravitz, who is surprisingly tight with Taylor Swift, even got the stamp of approval from the megastar via Instagram.
“This film is incredible. Thrilling, twisted, wickedly funny, and visually stunning. The performances are phenomenal. @zoeisabellakravitz conceptualized this, wrote it, obsessed over every detail, and directed it with such a clear and bold vision. I’m so blown away by what she’s accomplished here and I can’t wait to watch everyone discover this film and this brilliant filmmaker,” said Swift on her Stories.
Sure enough, she’s faring better than Swift’s other bestie, Blake Lively, whose It Ends With Us press tour has made her Hollywood's recent favorite villain. Other stars like Ayo Edebiri have been singing the director’s praises but we have to wonder … are they just being good friends? I’ve been known to support my besties even when they make questionable decisions. Or in this case, movies.
But here at Popdust, we’re not going to applaud any movie just for deigning to have a female director and a moralistic stance on rape culture. Just look at Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell, who also directed Saltburn. The buzzy revenge fantasy starring Carey Mulligan got rave reviews from other critics, but we found it wanting any real message. In the same way, Blink Twice falls into the trap of style over substance. Or rather, so much style in the beginning that the director has to rush to hit us over the head with substance by the end.
In a lot of ways, Blink Twice, which was originally called Pussy Island, feels familiar. We’ve seen the "rich dude bad, women fight back" narrative so many times that it feels a bit 2017. Though this time, the story has echoes of Jeffery Epstein (a sentence I shudder to type) and more contemporary references, some are wondering if Kravitz is just cashing in on a narrative that's already been done to death.
What’s the premise of Blink Twice?
The movie starts with Naomi Ackie as Frida doomscrolling on her phone — relatable. Scrolling past TikTok after TikTok, she stops at a video of a man we later know is Slater King (Channing Tatum), a tech billionaire who is apologizing for something we don’t know about. Frida watches the video with rapt attention before looking him up as we watch, getting the full download of King and his fame. I’ll admit: it’s a compelling opening scene — even if it starts with its protagonist on the toilet. James Joyce did it in Ulysses, after all, and Kravitz is a fan of learning from the greats.
So now that we’ve seen Frida’s life, an admittedly rushed rendering of a Struggling Person, we’re supposed to rationalize the pressing need for escape that leads her to abandon everything to follow a billionaire to a private island. That, as well as the fact that she has a crush on him before they even meet. As a cocktail waitress (and aspiring nail artist), she’s working King’s event while staring at him and sighing like a lovesick teenager. The two have a meet-cute that might make you think this is a romantic drama: she trips, and he offers his hand to help her hip. Cue the first of many sexually charged close-ups of Channing Tatum’s face. Zoë Girl, if I was making a movie that was 50% intimate shots of Channing Tatum, I’d have gotten engaged to him too.
After just one night, Frida gets swept up into King’s world and agrees to go on a lavish island getaway that turns into a nightmare. It starts off idyllic, if not a little strange. Kravitz’s directorial eye really shines in sun-drenched snaps of this idyllic retreat where Frida spends a series of seemingly perfect days alongside a cast of characters that include a former reality TV star (Adria Arjona), a wine snob (Simon Rex), and Slater's therapist/consultant (Christian Slater). As we learned from Jonah Hill, it’s always a red flag when a person’s therapist becomes their friend.
Yet, all of King’s behaviors are explained away with a shrug — “this must be what rich people do,” Frida rationalizes with her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat). Until Jess goes missing, the dream vacation turns into a nightmare.
Is Blink Twice a good movie?
On paper, it sounds like it could be a sharp, timely thriller set poolside with sleek Spanish architecture. This is a familiar premise, popular in shows like The White Lotus and films like Knives Out. The costume design is on point too, with the women decked out in flowing white dresses that grow more and more sinister as the movie progresses. But style can only take you so far, and Blink Twice often feels like it's trying too hard to be provocative and edgy.
The pacing is a major issue. The film's first half drags, with endless, repetitive scenes of partying and flirting. It's like Kravitz is so enamored with the glamorous setup that she forgets to move the plot forward. Zoë, if you wanted to make a party movie, you should’ve done that instead of spending over an hour on an ad for a luxury resort before shoving a moralistic ending down our throats. And it’s not just the messaging that’s heavy-handed; it’s the sudden shift to visceral, stomach-turning images of sexual violence.
When things finally do kick into high gear, the action feels chaotic and the plot unearned. Out of nowhere, we’re inundated with gratuitously graphic scenes that make me wonder: do we really need more female-gaze movies about sexual assault when they say nothing new, offer no fresh perspectives, and trigger potential trauma?
I felt like I was having a panic attack during the whole second half of the movie. It was an overwrought but ultimately unoriginal lecture set to horrifying scenes of violence against women. And wasting such incredible actors’ work on this tired narrative feels like a missed opportunity. Where there was potential for deftness and nuance, we got a sanctimonious sledgehammer that added nothing new to the conversation about rape culture.
Blink Twice is clearly trying to say something about power dynamics, consent, and the way powerful men can manipulate and abuse women. The problem isn't that these themes aren't worth exploring — they absolutely are. But the movie's approach often feels heavy-handed and simplistic. It's giving: "I just discovered feminism and now I'm going to make a movie about it."
There are moments where the movie hits its stride — the sequence where Frida starts piecing together what's really happening on the island is achingly tense and well-executed. Ackie’s back and forth with Arjona in this sequence is one of the most satisfying parts of the film — but also where it starts to go south.
Blink Twice cast
Yet, despite the circumstances, the actors managed to put on career-defining performances. Naomi Ackie’s turn as Frida is almost good enough to make us forget that the character’s actions — namely, going on a trip with a famously problematic billionaire she met that night — are contrived and unjustified. She shines in the romantic moments and the comedic breaks and is hauntingly convincing in the more violent portions of the film.
Ackie especially shines alongside Adria Arjona, who is having a great summer starring in both this and Hit Man. The two make me wish this movie was more like Bodies Bodies Bodies, comedic and gory without the forced attempt at wokeness. Her character starts as a typical jealous mean girl who embodies the “cool girl” trope as a former contestant of a Survivor-type show starring girls in bikinis and evolves into one of the film’s standout roles.
Channing Tatum is a pleasant (or unpleasant) surprise. Known for his comedic roles, his raunchy dance moves, and, let's be honest, his abs, Tatum shows he can do more than just flash that million-dollar smile. His Slater King is charming on the surface but has an underlying current of menace that grows more pronounced as the movie progresses. Those close-ups of his eyes go from seductive to sinister. But as the movie reaches its climax, Tatum hits the end of his range and, like the movie, falls flat. I just kept thinking I’d like to see him use this intensity for an actual romance — something like The Vow but with more substance.
Ultimately, the cast is the main reason to watch this film. And the curiosity about what goes on in Zoë Kravtiz’s mind. If it looks like Blink Twice up there, it seems it’s a beautiful but dark place. Despite the nepo baby allegations, there's definitely potential here. She clearly has a good eye and knows how to create an atmosphere. With less of a need to prove something and a tighter script, she could definitely make something truly impressive in the future. The trouble with being a nepo baby is that you always have to prove you’re not just talented but “deep.” That there’s something within you that justifies your fame. Kravitz was trying to prove that here and ended up doing too much that it basically amounts to nothing.
Blink Twice controversy
What’s surprising is how little the film’s darkness — so overdone in the film — was revealed in the press tour. Clearly, Zoë has trouble with balance and tends to err toward extremes. While Blake Lively is getting flack for not emphasizing the themes of It Ends With Us enough during the press tour, the same criticism can be leveled at Kravitz. Her press rollout seems more like an ad for her relationship with Tatum than a movie about violence against women.
Kravitz has also come under fire for wading into the cancel culture debate — especially when her film is about the hollowness of celebrity apologies. She admitted to loving Roman Polanski in an Esquire interview, where she said she knew it was “controversial.” “It’s okay that somebody bad was involved in something good ... What are we supposed to do, get rid of America?” But as someone making a movie about men who abuse their power over women, it’s disappointing to hear such a flippant response on such a nuanced topic.
Kravitz is not the only one whose hypocrisy is a blot on the film’s pietistic aspirations. Alia Shawkat is famously friends with Brad Pitt, who is the ultimate symbol of the status quo — despite his own allegations of violence against women and his seemingly duplicitous public persona. Yes, he’s far less sinister than Slater King, but where do we draw the line? Is badness about degrees? Or have we lost all nuance as viewers that we only recognize bad character when they murder and rape. Is that the unintentional message of Zoë Kravitz’s dark delusion?
In the end, Blink Twice is a bag of cotton candy. Rich, but hollow. It's stylish but shallow, provocative but predictable. It's the kind of film that will spark some interesting conversations, even if those conversations are more about what the movie was trying to do rather than what it actually achieved.
Things I could have predicted this year: the drama surrounding the United States presidential election, Sabrina Carpenter's album being a hit, and the GRAMMY winners. Things I could not have predicted in my lifetime: Noel and Liam Gallagher, the brothers who've been publicly feuding for decades, waving the white flag and getting Oasis back together.
You don't need to be from the United Kingdom to know that Oasis is one of the greatest bands ever to exist. A viral video of The 1975's Matty Healy puts it perfectly: they would be insane not to get back together...and it seems as though they've finally listened.
History books will remember August 27 as perhaps one of the best (or worst) decisions a band has ever made. With a pair of hot-headed rockstars who also happen to be related, there's no telling what's going to happen on-stage during the 2025 reunion tour.
However, it seems Noel and Liam are serious this time. After publicly bashing each other for years, with stories and headlines endlessly swirling about their constant fighting, Oasis is back. The official accounts for Noel, Liam, and Oasis posted on social media yesterday with the caption, "This is it, this is happening."
The tour will begin on July 4, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales, and extend throughout the UK for the summer. While you may not get the chance to see Oasis immediately, there are plans in place to expand the tour across other continents...So maybe the United States will see them soon.
While we're all excited that we get to hear hits like "Wonderwall," "Champagne Supernova," and "Don't Look Back in Anger," let's take a look at some of the best moments from Oasis' chaotic past:
1. The 1996 MTV: Unplugged Show
What was unique about Oasis' success is that it seemed fueled by the feud. They created some of their best work while being at each other's throats. Their debut album, Definitely, Maybe, tore through Britpop, promptly counting Oasis as the top contender when it came to British pop rock- dethroning Blur and Pulse.
But they were still fighting constantly. During their MTV: Unplugged set, Liam pulled out of the show last-minute due to a sore throat...forcing Noel to perform the set alone. Liam sat, shouting at Noel from the balcony as he performed alone.
Then, the brothers were set to embark on their U.S. leg of the tour...but Liam once again stayed behind for a few shows to reportedly help settle housing for his then-wife. This forced the cancellation of multiple shows, but it was just the tip of the iceberg.
2. Noel Calling Liam "Monkey Boy" To BBC
It was no secret that Oasis couldn't get along. By the year 2000, multiple tours had been cut short thanks to one brother or the other, multiple band members had quit, and violence was a recurring factor between the group. As their fourth album, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, was touring, Noel was suddenly replaced as the guitarist.
Noel then proceeds to phone into BBC and refer to Liam as “monkey boy” and “a bit of an idiot.” He boasts of being the reason the band is together and says it’s “just been made impossible for me to let alone be on the same stage but be in the same room as” his brother.
3. The Fight at Rock en Seine Festival
Most long-term battles end with some catastrophic explosion. In Oasis' case, it came at the Rock en Seine Festival in 2009. After hearing Noel was planning to quit the band, a brawl ensued backstage (yes, literally at the festival) and Liam even smashed Noel's guitar.
Medical staff and security had to be called, and Oasis never made it to the actual performance. In a statement, Noel remarked, "He doesn't like me and I don't like him." That was the end of the band for 15 years until now. But we've seen Noel and Liam Gallagher take constant shots at one another publicly almost everyday since.
4. When Liam Tried To Sabotage The 1996 MTV VMA's
The poor MTV producers from 1995 must have hated Oasis. During their performance at the VMA's, disaster struck as Liam and Noel clearly had been fighting before their set. In a quote from an NYTarticle,
"Mr. Strauss, the music critic, wrote in The Times: “Liam Gallagher was swearing up a storm, knocking over the microphone, spilling beer, spitting, making lewd gestures and criticizing the lameness of the event as he sang ‘Champagne Supernova’ intentionally off-key, out of rhythm and with the wrong lyrics.”
5. The Soup Comment
While Oasis had ended, the fighting never really ceased. Liam and Noel took to media outlets, Twitter, and more, to talk poorly about one another. At one point, Noel quipped that Liam is "the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.”
Of course, Liam had to contribute by posting a photo of himself eating soup with a fork.
Seriously, what a year for
Gypsy Rose Blanchard. What a success story. Since being released from prison on December 28, 2023 — only days before ringing in 2024 — she’s become a cultural phenomenon.
Blanchard spent seven years in jail after being convicted of second-degree murder for the death of her mother, Claudine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. Blanchard conspired with then boyfriend, Nick Godejohn, to stab Dee Dee after finding out Gypsy Rose
didn’t have a lifelong illness, but was instead a victim of child abuse. These events inspired hit drama docus like The Act starring Joey King — seducing the world into the great labyrinth of Gypsy’s lore.
She went from inmate to attendee at star-studded events in mere months. By January 5, she was at seen at the red-carpet premiere of “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” alongside her then-husband, Ryan Anderson. From that moment on, she was doing podcast interviews, frequently making informative TikToks on what prison life was like, and even starring in her own reality show.
Now, Gypsy Rose Blanchard has announced she’s pregnant. But no, it’s not with her former husband, the aforementioned Anderson.
I’m sure you’re also wondering just how we got here — so let’s dive into the love life of Gypsy Rose and explain it all.
A Quick History Of Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s Complicated Love Life
Gypsy Boyfriend #1: Nick Godejohn
If you watched any of the Gypsy Rose documentaries, you’ll remember
Godejohn. Gypsy’s first BF, which began as a secret online romance and spilled into a torrid love affair that ended up with Dee Dee Blanchard dead. Godejohn is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. The pair broke up quickly after their sentencing in 2019.
Gypsy quickly moved on to Ken Urker, followed by an engagement announcement by April 2019. Naturally, the couple met because Urker wrote to Blanchard in prison after seeing the HBO docu,
Mommy, Dead and Dearest — they wrote to one another for a year and a half before he popped the question.
Urker and Blanchard were on-again-off-again until a third Gypsy boyfriend hit the mix.
Can we even call him a boyfriend if she immediately marries him in 2022? Nonetheless, Urker was pushed out of the picture (briefly) when reports surfaced that Blanchard and Anderson had tied the knot. And, yes, this was another pen pal love story.
By March 2024, however, Blanchard and Anderson headed for
splitsville, sadly. Three months after Gypsy was released from prison.
So Who Is Gypsy Rose’s Baby-Daddy?
That would be Gypsy Boyfriend #2: Ken Urker. Gypsy Rose announced via TikTok today, July 9, 2024, that she’s due in January 2025.
Yes, the busy year for Gypsy Rose continues and I’m sure the world won’t have anything crazy whatsoever to say…
image C/O Daily Mail 
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